Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-05-19


WASHINGTON, May I2.-The New
York Herdtd's correspondent has pre-
pared the following comparative state
ment, which contrasts the work of the
Pension Bureau during the last two
years of Republican rule with the first
two years of the Democratic Admins
tration: In the year ending June 80,
1888, there were 50, ,279 pension certifl-
Gates issued, of which number S,l61
were original cases, and the remainder
increase and miscellaneous claims. For
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1884, the
total number of certificates issued was
59,729, of which "a, 100 were original,
and the balance increase and miscellan-
eous cases. In the next fiscal year, up
to the 18th of March, 1885, when Gen
eral Black entered upon the duties of
his office, there were 3d. certificates
of all kinds issued. From March II up
to the 30th of June of the same year-a
period of only two months and half
there were issued 81 ,232 pension certi-
ficates. In the fiscal year ending June
80, 1856, there were issued 76, ,654 pension
certificates, 40, $50 of which were origi-
nal cases. In that same fiscal year
there were also issued 1885 supple
mental certificates to widows and de-
pendent relatives whose pensions had
been increased by the act of March 10,
1854 grand total for that one year of
159, ,643 allowances.
These supplemental certificates were
issued within very few months after
the passage of the law. At no time in
the history of the Office has such an
enormous humber of pensions been sin
creased" without interference with the
regular work of the office or without a
call upon Congress for additional help.
From the 1st of July, 1886, up to and
including the 3Oth of April, 1887, ten
months, there were 74,60S certificates
issued, of which 1882 were original
cases,
There are yet remaining two months
of the present fiscal year, and the result
will be a showing greater by far than
any previous year in the history of the
Office. This immense amount of work
has been performed with q reduction of
the clerical force of over 100. Gen. Black
determined to conduct the Office upon
strict business principles, and required
that the entire time of the clerical force
during office hours should be devoted
to the consideration and transaction Of
the public business and the settlement
of long delayed pension claims. AS one
result of this regulation, the first year
of his administration exhibited saw
ing in the matter of leaves of absence
of Is, 1854 days of the aggregate time of
the clerical force, or AZ years, II months
and 4days of the time of single clerk.
Since the 18th of March, 1885, when the
present commissioner assumed the duties
of his office, no leaves of absence have
been granted for political purposes, and
no pension Office clerks have gone of
on "stumping tours" as was formerly
the custom. From July l, 1884, to June
30, 1885, the average number of work
ing days for the clerical force was 266,
while in the succeeding year the aver
age number of working days was 281.
In the year 1886 the present commits
Sioner turned over to the treasury over
500, 200 of unexpended appropriation
on account of clerical hire, and he eff
fected saving in the same year in the
item of stationery of over $l3, ,000-this
Notwithstanding the fact that the busi-
ness of the Bureau had been very large
ly increased. '''
It was formerly the practice that
when pension claim had been neg
lected-tbat is, when the claimant or
his attorney had failed to call up the
case for a certain length of time-to
mark the case Abandoned and con-
slider it in about the same light as q re-
jected case. General Black abolished
this practice, and required of his chiefs
of bureaus that all claims should be CIV
en- o chance of being considered and
finally adjudicated. Every case filed
during his administration has received
prompt attention. His order that all
cases flied prior to his entry into office
should be examined before the 1st OF
June has already been fully compiled
with, and there is not a single case in
the pending files of the office which has
not been examined, and in which steps
have not been taken toward final set
tlement. AS consequence of the ap.
plieation of these practical
principles in the management of the
Office, the pension bureau, for the first
time in its history, is abreast of the
original invalid claims filed. To illus.
trate the enormous increasein the bust.
ness of the pension bureau, during
the month of March, 1884, there were
received $50 1856 pieces of mail matter,
and there were sent out from its Office
141 1893 circulars and letters, while in
the month of March, 1887, there were
received 2s7, 1858 pieces of mail matter
and there were sent out from the office
1S8,142 letters and circulars.
The following table will show the
number Of pension certificates issued
during the fiscal years ending June 80
1884, 1885, 1886, and for the year of 1885,
up to the Both of April: On ao.54
q @s, 1887
uptO
o 1881 1885 1885 Apr. 9